


something beautiful

by RosieClark



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Lance can sing, Love Confessions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-15
Updated: 2020-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:26:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23146936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RosieClark/pseuds/RosieClark
Summary: “I told you so,” Lance said cheekily, and she turned, confused. He elaborated. “Back in space, I was all like ‘look at the sunset!’ and you were all like ‘a million sunsets happen everyday Lance’ remember?”At his over dramatized imitation of her, she rolled her eyes, her gaze drifting to the colorful ocean. “No, but you were right. It’s breathtaking.”“Yeah, it really is.” His voice sounded softer, and she wished she could turn around to see the expression on his face.
Relationships: Lance/Pidge | Katie Holt
Comments: 7
Kudos: 40
Collections: The Conservatory Events





	something beautiful

**Author's Note:**

> hey y'all! this is my piece for a plance collab event! lovely art was done by [@suemaryrakocy!](https://suemaryrakocy.tumblr.com/) with the coloring by [@anchoredtether!](https://anchoredtether.tumblr.com/). honestly, these two are so talented, y'all definitely have to go checkout the lovely piece that inspired this fic [here!](https://suemaryrakocy.tumblr.com/post/612681085270310912/happy-pie-day-everybody-i-mean-it-was)!

Pidge was in heaven. Or at least it felt like she was in heaven. 

One minute she’s in her lab, working her usual overtime routine, and the next, she’s whisked away by Lance of all people, to the beach. He had set up his truck, the back filled with snacks, pillows, blankets, and to her absolute joy, a switch. 

About an hour in, she had begun to shiver, and he had poured her a cupful of hot cocoa, before wrapping his sweater over her shoulders, claiming she looked cold and needed it more than he did. He hadn’t been _wrong_ , but every time he did things like that―things that made it seem like they were dating―made her heart throbbed a little harder. 

Every logical part of her brain was telling her that it wasn’t a date, but her romantic side begged to differ. _It’s just you two, and the whole situation screams romance_ , it argued. _But why now? Why her?_ Logic countered, and to that romance had only one answer. 

_Because he loves you._

Pidge wanted to scoff. There was no way. Still, something in her wanted to ask, just to confirm what she already knew. 

“Hey, are you okay?” Lance’s voice sounded concerned. “I just won, and we both know that only happens when you're distracted or feel bad for me.” 

“I’m just thinking,” she muttered, turning back to the game, taking a bite out of another peanut butter cookie. She was pretty sure they were from Hunks, but his place was all the way across town, and she doubted Lance would have gone through the effort. Licking her fingers, she went to select a character but found that the controllers were snatched from her grasp and placed behind her. 

She looked up at Lance, confused, and reached for another cookie to distract her from the intensity of his gaze. Lance grabbed that too, shoving it all in his mouth. She held back her laughter as he struggled to chew and swallow. 

“Pidge, talk to me. What’s on your mind?” he wiped the crumbs from his shorts. 

“The sunset,” she blurted out, frantically trying to find any reason for her loss. “It’s just - _wow_.” That was not lying. When she actually turned to focus on the hues of the sky, brought to life by the glowing sun reflected off of the water, she began to realize just how beautiful it actually was. 

“I told you so,” Lance said cheekily, and she turned, confused. He elaborated. “Back in space, I was all like ‘look at the sunset!’ and you were all like ‘a million sunsets happen everyday _Lance_ ’ remember?” 

At his over dramatized imitation of her, she rolled her eyes, her gaze drifting to the colorful ocean. “No, but you were right. It’s breathtaking.” 

“Yeah, it really is.” His voice sounded softer, and she wished she could turn around to see the expression on his face. They sat like that for a moment, no words needed as they enjoyed nature's beauty before them.

“As beautiful as it is, we both know that’s not the real reason.” She tensed at his words, cursing him for knowing her so well. “Let’s hear it.” 

It was clear Lance wasn’t going to let it go, so she gathered all her courage and asked. “Why are you doing this Lance?” 

“Huh?” It was obviously not what he’d been expecting. 

“Why are you doing all of this? The truck and games and snacks?”

He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, giving Pidge an eyeful of glorious bicep, and shrugged. “Can’t a guy spoil his best friend every once and awhile?” 

_Friend._ There was that dreaded word. Her shoulders slump in disappointment, and she tried to hide her face. _So it wasn’t a date then_ , she thought bitterly, shoving a handful of chips in her mouth. Nothing like drowning her sorrows in food. She swallows dryly. 

“I didn’t say that.” 

Her ears perk up, and it takes her a second to realize she had spoken the last thought out loud. Blood rushed to her ears and she wanted to die of mortification. But then his words register, and it's enough to ignite a spark of hope. Slowly, she turns to face him one again. 

“You didn’t?”

“Come on Pidge, how many hints do I have to drop? I got your favorite snacks from across town, your favorite games, we’re on the _beach_ in my _truck_ watching the sunset!” His cheeks were tinted pink, and she was glad she wasn’t the only one flustered. 

“Yup.” She nodded, her brain slowly processing this new information. He had done all of that for _her._

“Yup,” he repeated, drumming his fingers on his legs, waiting for her to say something. It was painfully awkward, and she inwardly cringed at the whole situation. It was times like this she liked to curse her father for giving her his ‘proudly clueless in social situations’ gene. 

“So is this a date then?” she finally asked, trying to keep from sounding too hopeful. She looked down at her clasped hands, her fingers running back and forth against each other nervously. Another, tanned hand entered her field of view, gently covering hers, halting her anxious movements.

His free hand moved to tilt her chin up, until her eyes met his. Her heart was pounding out of her chest, and she held her breath, waiting for his next words. 

“Yes, Katie,” he smiled, his eyes dancing with mirth. “Yes, it is a date.” 

She let out a sigh of relief, before throwing her arms around his neck. He laughed, wrapping his around her waist, pulling her closer. “Thank god,” she whispered into his neck. “I have no quiznacking idea what I would have done if you said no.”

“Language,” he teased, and she pulled away slightly to smack his arm. She tried to look angry, but her efforts to contain her laughter turned into a snort, which sent them into a fit of hysterics, leaving her heaving for air as Lance wiped the tears from his eyes. The atmosphere around them shifted, and she felt the intensity of Lance's gaze, felt his hand on hers. “Katie Holt, can I kiss you?” 

She almost rolled her eyes at his sappiness, but the flutter in her stomach stopped her. As cheesy as it was, she had to admit it worked. “Yes,” she nodded, and before she knew it, his lips were on hers, his hand running through her hair. She replied by wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him closer still. The kiss was slow and sweet and sensual, everything she could have wanted and more. There was no feeling of rush, it was as if they had all the time in the world.

When they finally pulled apart for air, he leans down to rest his forehead against hers, whispering a _wow,_ which pretty much summed up how she felt. “Thank god, I don’t know what the quiznack I would have done if you said no,” he teased, using her own words against her. 

His smile was playful, and she just rolled her eyes. “Idiot.”

“Gremlin.” 

She had loved Lance for as long as she knew him. Not romantically at first, more the kind of love you have for a best friend. Over time, those feelings grew until, as Keith so elegantly pointed out a few years ago, she ‘had it bad.’ The girl in love with her best friend - it sounded so cliche, but it was true. She had accepted that Lance would never love her back a long time ago, yet here she was, sitting next to him, her lips still tingling from their kiss. 

She realized Lance was being uncharacteristically quiet, and turned, curious to know what he’d been up to. He had pulled out his phone with one earbud in his ear and was scrolling through songs. She was slightly hurt that he was choosing now of all times to listen to some tunes, and wondered why he would choose now of all times to listen to some tunes. He looks up and must notice the look on her face because he scooted closer. 

“Here,” Lance said softly, gently reaching up and brushing some stray hairs behind her ears. “Listen.” 

She was momentarily confused before his other earbud is placed in her ear, and soft, lilting piano crackles through. She closes her eyes and enjoys the music, the notes and chords painting a picture of fondness and love and beauty. A female voice begins to sing, the melody sweet, the lyrics playful. A male voice joins in, and it takes her a while to realize it belongs to Lance. 

He has a nice voice, she thinks, smooth but not raspy, and was rarely pitchy. She recalled something about him playing the guitar, and made a mental note to ask him to play her a song.

She opened her eyes to see a shy smile playing on his lips as he sings along to the tune. He looked so happy, humming along with the instrumental interludes, so at _peace._ He hasn’t noticed her staring yet, so she shuts her eyes again, and leans her head on his shoulder. She can feel him tense for a brief moment, his singing faltering, before he relaxed into her, his arm lazily slinging around her shoulder to pull her closer. She relished in his body heat, shamelessly snuggling into his side, as he lulled her to sleep with song after song after song. 

Her last coherent thought before she conked out was how lucky she was to have met a boy like him. 

  
  
  


Lance’s voice was most likely going to be gone the next day, but seeing the soft smile on Pidge’s face as she fell asleep made it all worth it. His sweater was falling off her shoulder, and he tugged it back up, taking a moment to appreciate how cute she looked in his clothing. When she first put on his cardigan, he had to take a moment to recollect himself.

The night had gone perfectly, but he hadn’t anticipated her falling asleep. Not that he was complaining or anything, it was simply unexpected. Unexpected, yet not unpleasant. She looked so peaceful, a nice change from her usual stressed out and frazzled state. 

He looked down in surprise as her fingers sleepily moved to intertwine with his, and couldn’t help the small chuckle that escaped his lips. Even sleeping, she somehow managed to take his breath away. Her lips were parted slightly, and a few stray strands of hair had come out from behind her ears. He tucked them back with his free hand, allowing his fingers to caress her cheek once. He squeezed her hand slightly, and his heart did a little dance when she squeezed back. 

Carefully as not to wake her, Lance shifted them backwards, so his back was resting against the window of the truck, grabbing one of the blankets and slinging it over them in the process. 

The setting sun cast a golden glow over Pidge’s sleeping face, and he felt his heart skip a beat. Being here, her warm body pressed against his, the ocean breeze in his hair, Lance realized he could get used to it. He could get used to being with Pidge, making her laugh, making her happy, _loving_ her. Gods, he could definitely get used to that last one. 

Loving Pidge was like swimming. One moment it's a terrifying thought, and the next it's as natural as breathing. 

He loved her, with all his heart. 

His fingers mindlessly trace patterns on her shoulder as he wondered why it took him so long to realize the girl of his dreams was right in front of him. 

“Lance?” Her eyes flutter open and she yawns. “What are you thinking about?” her voice was hoarse from sleep. 

“Nothing,” he lied, smiling down at her. “Have a nice nap, hermosa?” The nickname rolled off his tongue before he could stop it, and he watches as her eyes widen in surprise, before her cheeks darken several shades and he makes a mental note to use it in the future. 

“Don’t distract me with endearing nicknames,” she scolded, sitting upright, pouting slightly and looking absolutely _adorable._ “Look, if we’re going to do this relationship right, it starts with not lying to each other. You can tell me.” 

How could he say no to that? She didn’t even know a fraction of the power she held over him. 

“I was just thinking about how much of an idiot I’ve been, chasing after the princess when you’ve been right here this whole time.” 

“Hey now, I’m the only one allowed to call you that,” she joked, before turning serious. “Don’t beat yourself up about it okay? If this -” She gestures around them. “- had happened sooner, we would have been two different people, and it might not have worked out. Now that we’re older and wiser―”

“You’re twenty-three.” 

“Shhh, let me finish.” she held up a finger to his lips, successfully halting all rational thoughts. “Now that we’re older and wiser, we’re able to have these moments of heart to heart reflection, which I believe is a game changer.” As she grabbed his hand, and he marveled at how she was able to make him feel better in just a few sentences. “Yes, you are an idiot, but what’s important is that now, you’re my idiot.” 

“You’re perfect,” he whispered before kissing her knuckles. “How did I get so lucky?” 

“I wouldn’t say _perfect,_ ” she started, and Lance could tell she was about to go on a ‘flattered ramble’ as he and the others dubbed them a few years back. Every time she received a compliment, it didn’t matter from who, Pidge would go on to list all the reasons she wasn’t deserving of it. “I mean, technically speaking, no one is perfect, and even if someone was, you’d have to factor in to account what―” 

She let out a squeak as he kissed her for the second time that night, before melting into it, her hands going around to play with the hairs at the nape of his neck.

This thing he had with Pidge, it was the start of something that would grow and grow and grow until―he hoped―the day they died. It was the start of a relationship built on trust and understanding, something he had never experienced before. 

It was the start of something beautiful.

**Author's Note:**

> thoughts? comments are always welcome!


End file.
